Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid grows up hungry. Each spring and summer, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger.
Our evening began with a cocktail competition in which 14 mixologists squared off, featuring recipes representative of various cities from throughout the nation. We had the opportunity to sample each of these liquid creations and vote for our favorite cocktails.
I favored a southwestern raspberry cocktail shaken and stirred by the gals pictured here from the Westin Kierland’s Deseo restaurant.
We then enjoyed a seated meal prepared tableside by some of Phoenix and Scottsdale’s most talented chefs. Each table sampled a different menu from a different restaurant. Our table of ten was treated to a five course dinner with wine and specialty cocktail pairings prepared exclusively for our table by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
As each chef showcased cuisine from a different part of the country, each of us enjoyed a true “Taste of the Nation.”
Participating restaurants included: Brittlebush Bar & Grill, Bourbon Steak, Deseo, elements, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, La Hacienda, L’Auberge de Sedona, Province, 5th and Wine, Talavera, T. Cook’s, Smart Kitchen, Chef Aaron May, Fred’s at Barney’s and Nourish.
Four Seasons Hualalai ~ Hawaii, the Big Island – As we continue our journey to scour the planet for resorts that will make a baby boomer’s heart go pitter-pat, once in a while we find one that is absolutely magnificent in every conceivable way.
The Four Seasons Hualalai is just such a resort.
From the moment we arrived, we enjoyed warm towels and tropical punch at registration, luxury, pampering, world-class dining, stunning landscapes, outgoing and hospitable resort staff, and a location that was simply breath-taking.
Even as I write these words, there is a pining to be back at Four Seasons Hualalai enjoying the beach and taking in the sight of my wife’s toes sticking out from under her canopied beach chair.
Take a look at the impressive list of awards amassed by the Four Seasons Hualalai:
AAA Five Diamonds – Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (13 consecutive years)
AAA Four Diamonds – Pahu i’a restaurant (11 consecutive years)
Forbes Five Stars – Four Seasons Resort Hualalai(2 consecutive years)
Forbes Four Stars – Hualalai Spa at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (7 consecutive years)
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu remains Hawaii’s first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort.
Further, Four Seasons Hualalai was named the #1 hotel in Hawaii, #1 hotel spa in Hawaii, and is included in the list of Top 100 Hotels Overall in Travel + Leisure’s 2010 World’s Best Awards readers’ poll.
There were a number of things that really stood out for us as we reflect on our visit to the Four Seasons Hualalai. One of them was the Beach Tree Restaurant.
Beach Tree is renowned for its signature style of “barefoot elegance”, is overseen by Chef de Cuisine Nick Mastrascusa – formerly of 57 Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel New York, and offers a menu featuring California cuisine with Italian influences.
This is gourmet cuisine where the very acceptable attire is flip-flops!
If I am completely honest with you, I was a little “pissy” that the Four Seasons was hosting us in what I thought was a fancy burger joint. Burgers and pizza are available at Beach Tree, but where I was completely mistaken was that Beach Tree is also an out-of-this-world, world-class gourmet restaurant set right on the beach!
My dear bride, after I took my first bite, gave me “the look” for being such a foodie snob.
Let me also say, that after my first bite, I was completely enthralled with Chef Mastrascusa’s offerings.
We enjoyed a wonderful wine-paring with each course as we sampled Ahi Carpaccio, Gnocchi, Ox Tail Ragout, and the most incredible, stand on your table and scream for joy Veal Osso Bucco Lasagna. Unbelievable. I was such a dork for being “pissy” about the Beach Tree Restaurant. The food was EPIC!
Take a look at my Veal Osso Bucco Lasagna. Melt in your mouth, simmered for hours-on-end goodness!
Our Favorite Four Seasons Hualalai Memories
Well, obviously Beach Tree Restaurant! 🙂
Hawaiian breezes blowing into our ocean-view room. Sweet!
Snorkeling in King’s Pond, a 1.8-million gallon “aquarium” carved out of natural lava rock with over 3,000 tropical fish, including a spotted eagle ray.
Sunsets over the ocean.
Walking the beautiful 1/2-mile beach w/ moon and stars overhead.
Laying on the beach in a covered chaise-lounge.
Relaxing in the adults-only Palm Grove Pool. It’s set amidst a garden of palm trees and features day beds, hammocks, and a heated saline/chlorine pool and whirlpool. Ahhhh!
The contrast of ancient black lava rock with towering coconut palms, white sand beaches, and the azure Pacific ocean. A photographer’s dream.
Exploring the magnificently manicured grounds.
Sitting in the wooden beach chairs with the wind in our faces as we watched the sunset.
Viewing a 14,000 ft volcano over the lush green golf course.
A smile and greeting from everyone on the staff.
The Four Seasons Hualalai easily climbs its way into one of our personal top-10 destination resorts. We highly recommend it, and can’t wait to return. Besides, I want some more of that Veal Osso Bucco Lasagna!
For more information or to book a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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The Library of Congress and Sony Music Entertainment recently unveiled a new website of over 10,000 rare historic sound recordings available to the public for the first time digitally. The site is called the “National Jukebox” (www.loc.gov/jukebox/).
Developed by the Library of Congress, with assets provided by Sony Music Entertainment, the National Jukebox offers free online access to a vast selection of music and spoken-word recordings produced in the U.S. between the years 1901 and 1925.
As I am currently working on a our feature from the Four Seasons Hualalai, on Hawaii’s Big Island, I thought I would share with you “Hawaiian Love Song”, sung by Ward Barton and Frank Carol. This is a Victor recording from 1916.
I love impressionist paintings. The idea of recording an impression through color, light, and brush strokes, rather than recording an exact replication of a particular scene is appealing to me.
With digital photography tools like Adobe’s Photoshop, we now have the ability to create our own impressions of a particular scene.
I shot this photograph in the very late afternoon on Hawaii, the Big Island, at the Four Seasons Hualalai.
The original was nice enough, but for me the impressionistic version was able to accomplish so much more.
I was able to significantly enhance the glow of the sun in the shade, and the lady’s painted toes relaxed on the beach seems to say it all. Furthermore, the hazy beach, rolling waves, and glow of the coming sunset brings further drama to the scene.
Don’t you find this photograph inviting? Wouldn’t you like to have your own covered chaise-lounge on this beach?
Paradise Helicopter Tour – these two baby boomers were completely awestruck with our two-hour helicopter tour of the Big Island of Hawaii with Paradise Helicopters.
We took off from the Kona International Airport, and headed counter-clockwise around the whole island.
Although the skies were predominantly cloudy, I was still very pleasantly surprised with the beauty we witnessed, and the photographs I was able to bring home.
We flew over black lava fields, massive macadamia nut farms, rocky coastlines which met with beautiful turquoise Pacific waters, absolutely stunning lava flows, massive deep canyons, rain forests, countless waterfalls, two 14,000 foot dormant volcanoes, thousands of acres of lush cattle country, and the beautiful sandy beaches of the Kohala Coast.
Even though there were clouds in the sky, our pilot was able to maneuver around them, thereby keeping our flight surprisingly smooth.
The cost to own and maintain a helicopter isn’t cheap. Therefore, these tickets are quite expensive.
However, let me tell you from experience — if you can swing the ticket price, you will come home with a memory of a lifetime. Where else will you see such splendid diversity? We went from sunny beaches, to rain forest, to a live erupting volcano!
Absolutely unbelievable! Here’s a short glimpse of what we saw…
The Roaming Boomers
Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid grows up hungry. Each spring and summer, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger.
We then enjoyed a seated meal prepared tableside by some of Phoenix and Scottsdale’s most talented chefs. Each table sampled a different menu from a different restaurant. Our table of ten was treated to a five course dinner with wine and specialty cocktail pairings prepared exclusively for our table by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
